Creamy RICE PUDDING Is The Perfect Winter Dessert!

A bowl of this creamy rice pudding is the most comforting dessert to enjoy this winter. And the best part is that you only need five simple fridge and pantry items to make it. If you've never had rice pudding before, I like to describe it as a bowl of coziness. And if you have a fireplace, it's definitely a front of the fireplace kind of dessert. It's ultra creamy thanks to the milk and starchy rice. It's sweetened naturally with just a little bit of maple syrup, and it's perfectly spiced thanks to the cinnamon. Now, I also love to stir in raisins, but you could also opt for dried cranberries or other seasonal flavors to make it extra delicious. So let me show you how to make it. In a large saucepan, add four and a half cups of whole milk or full fat coconut milk if you're dairy-free. You can also use other dairy-free milks, but the end result might be just a little bit less creamy. Then you'll need three quarters cup of short grain rice, like Arborio rice. This is the same type of rice that's used in risotto, and it lends that similar creamy consistency to this rice pudding as it does to risotto. For a little sweetener, I like to add a quarter cup of maple syrup, though honey works as well, and then add a pinch of kosher salt, which just helps to enhance the sweet flavors of this dessert. Give this a stir and then bring it to a simmer over medium high heat while stirring frequently. As I've mentioned before with other milk-based dessert recipes, you never want to turn your back on a pot of milk simmering on the stove because it can go from simmering to boiling over in a split second. So just keep stirring this every few minutes or so to prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom while the milk heats up to a simmer. Then when you've got just a few bubbles along the edges and it's sort of steaming, turn the heat down to low and loosely cover it with the lid. Continue this process of stirring every couple of minutes for about 25 to 30 minutes until the rice becomes tender and the remaining liquid has thickened up. And again, if you've made risotto before, this process should seem somewhat familiar because the more you stir, the more the rice will release starch and thicken up the liquid in the saucepan. So once the rice is tender, turn off the heat and then add your mix-ins. I'm adding a half a cup of raisins, one teaspoon of vanilla extract, and a quarter teaspoon of ground cinnamon. And then I'll just stir all of that together. Now, as a heads up, the rice pudding will continue to thicken while it cools. So if you want to prevent it from becoming too thick, make sure to not overcook it on the stove. But if you accidentally do, you can always just add a splash of milk to thin it back down again. And that's really how easy it is to make a sweet and scrumptious batch of rice pudding. Serving up a warm and steaming bowl of rice pudding for dessert really hits the spot on a cool evening. And I, of course, love that it's naturally gluten-free and refined sugar-free. It's also got a similar texture to tapioca pudding. So if you love that dessert, you're sure to love this rice pudding as well. If you want to zhuzh up the top before serving, you can always add a few more raisins and a dash or two of ground cinnamon. Though in all honesty, I usually only do that if I have guests over because when I make this for myself, I am more than ready to just start devouring it plain and simple in the bowl. I am so excited to dig into this. Now, I know I say that after every video, but today it's a little bit chilly out and this just seems so comforting and cozy and warming and sweet. So, perfect. Now, as I mentioned, this does thicken up the longer it sits. So I do recommend taking it off the stove when it is a little bit more liquidy so that it doesn't get too thick. But if it does get too thick, just add a splash of milk or cream and stir it back in to get that more liquidy rice pudding texture. In terms of toppings or mix-ins, like I mentioned at the beginning, you could also add dried cranberries. You could add a fresh fruit as well, like freshly chopped apples or dried apples. In terms of spices, you could also add nutmeg or allspice or ground ginger. You can really treat this almost like you would a chia pudding or overnight oats and any of the toppings that you would put on those items, you could put on the rice pudding as well. I hope you guys enjoy this rice pudding all winter long and especially at Christmas. And if you enjoyed the video, make sure to give it a thumbs up. Share the recipe with your family and friends, and I will see you in the next video.